THRESHOLD: A Hard-boiled Thriller [Paperback]

Bonnie Kozek (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2008

Honey McGuinness hasn't weathered the storm of life; she's been chewed up and spit out by it. Although she hasn't exactly landed on her feet, she's a strong, enigmatic, and untamed creature-with more than enough juice to play with the big boys. When a haunting past becomes too painful, she moves to Skid Row where she hopes to disappear among the forsaken and forgotten. But things don't work out like she hopes. And when she finds her friend Billy lying in a pool of blood with a tape recorder strapped to his waist, she is sucked right back into the slough. To avenge Billy's murder, Honey risks it all. Her fearless pursuit of the killer thrusts her straight into the murky, seedy world of sex, drugs, and greed-a sinister and depraved world of panacea and oblivion that holds particular seduction for a gal like Honey. In the final round, bloodied and defiled Honey hooks up with a big lug of a cop who's willing to lay down his life for hers-if both of them live that long. Bawdy, gritty, and unrelenting, Threshold pushes you to the edge of darkness ... and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bonnie Kozek's debut novel, Threshold - the first book in her Honey McGuinness series - was published in the Winter, 2008. The second book in the series, Just Before the Dawn, will be in print in 2009. The third book, The Story of Why, is scheduled for publication in 2010. And One Wrong Move, a novel about little decisions with big consequences, is scheduled for publication in 2009 as well.In addition, she has written two works of nonfiction: A Lover's Lexicon, and Mania, a poetry book published in 2003. She also writes and produces oral histories through her company, Legacy Publishing.She has collaborated on numerous projects outside the realm of the written word with other artists, including Salvador Dali. She has worked as a sound/picture editor on features and documentaries for both big and little screens in Hollywood and New York, and has written and directed shorts, including films for Saturday Night Live. She created the first continuous running holographic movie, which premiered at the opening of the Museum of Holography in Manhattan.She worked at and attended California Institute of the Arts. She has taught in the graduate writing program at The New School, and continues to teach writing workshops at FEGS and JCCA, both not-for-profit multicultural human services agencies in NYC.Her work has been recognized and honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation.She has one son, Michael. She lives with her husband Jacob Ween, and splits her time between New York City and Millbrook, a small town in Upstate New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (December 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595497586
• ISBN-13: 978-0595497584
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bonnie Kozek is the author of "Threshold" and "Just Before the Dawn" -- the first two books in the Honey McGuinness grunge thriller series. She is also the author of "Mania" -- a book of poetry, with artwork by Jan Frank. She has received awards for her work from the National Endownment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a thriller!, April 22, 2009

By 

Crystal Fulcher (Beaufort, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: THRESHOLD: A Hard-boiled Thriller (Paperback)

I won this on a quick giveaway from Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf. It sounded interesting to me so I wanted to give it a shot. I'm pretty new to hard-boiled suspense/thriller books reading pretty much just the typical mainstream thrillers. I'm glad I got this book. It was a fast, enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the character of Honey McGuinness. She is not perfect, she has had a hard life and she knows it, but she moves on with her life. She has a lot of depth and even though she is not all good, she is really trying and she will do what she can for those she cares for, such as finding out who murdered her friend Billy, even if she has to risk her life, sanity and all she has worked for up until this point to find the murderer. The suspense line of the book was interesting, but I feel that the characters make the book, from the hardened character of Honey to the cowboy-cop, Skinner and the miscellaneous crew from Skid Row, you learn about all of them and their good and bad traits. The book had a very satisfactory ending but left me excited enough about the character of Honey to read the next in the series which will be out this year. I highly suggest reading Threshold if you enjoy suspense/thrillers with the hard-boiled edge, or even if you're not sure if you do and just want to try them. I think this is a wonderful book to try out the genre.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Threshold-A Hard Boiled Thriller, April 22, 2009

By 

BevE "BevE" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: THRESHOLD: A Hard-boiled Thriller (Paperback)

This book should come with a warning, not for general audiences, it is definitely X rated. Bonnie Kozesk's character Honey McGuinness reminds me of Mickey Spillane characters but with a feminine twist. The story starts as her Mother finally takes the leap of faith right off the balcony with her 8 year old daughter. Except Honey at the last moment decides to take the stairs. Author, Bonnie Kozek nails the rationale of a young woman who is as close to being lost as possible but never taking that last step. A chance meeting with a cop named Skinner may be her one and only hope for salvation. Ms. Kozek, mixes fiction with the dope sick reality of crack, giving the reader a fly on the wall experience into addiction.

Honey McGuinness lives to see another day in Bonnie's soon to be second book - Just Before Dawn, due out in 2009 with The Story of Why to follow in 2010.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Threshold, January 5, 2009

By 

Dale Scott - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: THRESHOLD: A Hard-boiled Thriller (Paperback)

Once you turn the first page of Ms Kozek's book you realize that you have genuinely crossed a threshold into a compelling world of street people, drugs, sex, crime, and most importantly, the world of Honey McGuiness. Honey is the hard-boiled, soft-hearted heroine of Threshold, and she keeps the reader asking for more.
This noir tale reminds one of the writings of Artaud and his theater of cruelty. The author investigates the bare, raw unconscious below the surface of our daily lives and fictions. This is much more than a noir novel....it is literature that shocks, provokes, and informs, but more than that, it makes us fall very much in love with Honey. I can't wait to read the next book.